At the end of last week, U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., showcased two proposals he introduced last month to reform the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Steube brought back the “VA Fiscal Responsibility Act” and the “Modern GI Bill” last month.
“Our nation’s heroes deserve our support, and this legislation will alleviate some of the struggles they face,” Steube said. “Every year I have been in elected office, I have filed bills to support our Veterans and their families because they gave up our freedom to defend ours. I am thankful for the progress we made in bettering life for our veterans so far, and I look forward to continuing that progress in the 117th Congress.”
According to the congressman’s office, the “VA Fiscal Responsibility Act” will “promote efficiency and fiscal responsibility by directing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to improve its third-party billings and collections procedures” which “would ensure that veterans are not held fiscally responsible for the system’s failure to proactively capture the third-party billings that go uncollected.”
The bill, which Steube introduced in September, went to the U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee. So far, there are no cosponsors and no version over in the U.S. Senate.
The Modern GI Bill Act would allow “veterans who are entitled to Post-9/11 educational assistance through the GI Bill to use eligible funds to repay federal student loans incurred prior to military service” and “would lessen the financial burden on veterans and incentivize educated individuals to enlist in our military.”
Steube has reeled in three cosponsors, including U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., to back this proposal. So far, there is no companion measure in the Senate. Last month, the bill was sent to the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com.
